Sustiva/Truvada Side Effects

Mar 16, 2005

Hello Doctor,

I am treatment naive and I just began treatment with Truvada and Sustiva. It's been about four days and all I can say is that I'm glad I took a week off of work. So far, I feel tired and dazed all day long, like I'm in a thick bubble. I can't get a normal nights sleep because it's 8 hours of intense, consecutive dreaming that's keeping me from getting a good, deep rest. My stomach is rather uspet as well. I have frequent and abnormal bowel movements, although my appetite is good. These side effects are by no means extremely dibillatating, just uncomfortable and annoying. How much longer before I start feeling normal again? I take my meds about 9:30pm every night which is typically about one hour to 90 minutes before bedtime and I also try to have a relatively empty stomach before doing so. I go back to work in four days and I hope this settles down. Do you think it will?

Thanks.

Response from Dr. Henry

I had to take that regimen for a month due to a needle stick last year and I experienced all of those symptoms and more--I did not like it!!! For most (but not all and not for me) symptoms get better over the first month and often over the first 1-2 weeks. Sometimes specific interventions (for sleep or GI problems can be suggested or prescribed by your HIV specialist). The easy meds/treatment are no panacea as you are finding out. KH

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